The Secretive Skies Over Kabul: Unraveling Military Aircraft Landings In Afghanistan

Military planes have landed in Kabul, Afghanistan, since the Taliban took control of the capital in August 2021. The US military mission in Afghanistan drew to a close, and a huge multinational evacuation began. Hundreds of Afghans fled on airliners, and military aircraft of all types flew in and out of the airport. The US military planes left Afghanistan in August 2021, marking the end of America's longest war. However, there are reports that the Taliban flew a Black Hawk displaying the Taliban flag over Kabul in September 2021.

Military planes from the US and other countries evacuated people from Kabul in 2021

The evacuation efforts began in earnest after the Taliban declared victory in the War in Afghanistan on 15 August 2021. With the Taliban controlling the whole city except for the airport, hostilities ceased, and the Taliban assisted in the evacuation effort by providing security and screening evacuees.

Various countries launched evacuation operations, including Canada's Operation AEGIS, India's Operation Devi Shakti, and South Korea's Operation Miracle. The US deployed additional troops to the airport to secure the evacuations, with other NATO countries doing the same.

The evacuation efforts were not without incident, with a suicide bombing taking place at Hamid Karzai International Airport on 26 August 2021, killing at least 183 people, including 170 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the US military. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS–K) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Despite the attacks, the evacuation efforts continued, and by 28 August, the US had evacuated approximately 111,000 people from Afghanistan in the preceding two weeks. The evacuation of military forces was also underway, with Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands having departed by 26 August.

The Taliban has expressed its intention to rebuild the Afghan Air Force

In November 2021, two months after seizing power in Kabul, the Taliban expressed their intention to build their own air force. A high-ranking Kabul-based Taliban intelligence official stressed that having an air force is "compulsory".

The Taliban's Ministry of the Interior spokesperson, Qari Saeed Khosty, said: "We are trying to use the previous government's air force - the professionals that they had - and make sure they all return. The best policy for us is - whatever department is needed; we are going to have it."

The Taliban's Ministry of Defense spokesperson, Enayatullah Khwarizmi, announced in February 2022 that around five Afghan pilots had returned to the country and resumed their work.

The Taliban's efforts to rebuild the Afghan Air Force come after the force largely disintegrated following the withdrawal of NATO forces in the summer of 2021, which culminated in the Fall of Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani fleeing to the United Arab Emirates. Large numbers of airmen either fled the country or stood down in the face of the Taliban, with many aircraft being destroyed or captured.

The Afghan Air Force was first established in 1921 under the reign of King Amanullah and significantly modernized by King Zahir Shah in the 1960s. During the Soviet occupation, the pro-Moscow socialist government established a formidable air force with hundreds of Soviet jets, cargo planes, and helicopters.

The Taliban's Defense Minister, Mohammad Yaqoob, has warned Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where many Afghan aircraft and pilots fled, "not to test our patience and not to force us to take all possible retaliatory steps" to regain possession of the aircraft.

The US and its allies conducted a large-scale evacuation from Kabul's airport in 2021

The evacuation was conducted amidst the withdrawal of US and NATO forces and the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. The Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15, 2021, and the NATO-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan collapsed. With the Taliban controlling the whole city except for the airport, hostilities ceased, and the Taliban assisted in the evacuation effort by providing security and screening evacuees.

The evacuation operations included foreign citizens and vulnerable Afghan citizens, such as interpreters, assistants, Hazara people, and vulnerable women and minorities. The urgency to evacuate these populations increased as the Taliban seized control of the capital and all border crossings, leaving Kabul Airport as the only secure route out of Afghanistan.

The US and its allies faced challenges during the evacuation, including managing the large crowds of fleeing Afghan civilians and ensuring the safety of those being evacuated. The situation was further complicated by security threats, including the presence of ISIS-K, which claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at the airport on August 26, 2021, that killed over 180 people.

Despite these challenges, the evacuation was a successful large-scale operation that allowed tens of thousands of people to escape the Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

The US military secured Kabul's airport to aid the evacuation effort

The US military's securing of Kabul's airport was a crucial aspect of the evacuation effort, which aimed to rescue Americans and vulnerable Afghans from the country following the Taliban takeover. The airport, officially known as the Hamid Karzai International Airport, was the only feasible route out of Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the country.

The US military's role in securing the airport was essential to ensuring the safe departure of evacuees. The airport had witnessed chaotic scenes, with thousands of desperate Afghans rushing to the airport in an attempt to flee the country. The US military had to temporarily shut down the airport to contain the chaos and crowds, with US troops working to secure the area. This involved establishing a perimeter, crowd control, and occasionally firing warning shots to disperse people attempting to forcefully board aircraft.

The US military presence at the airport was also crucial in facilitating the evacuation process. They assisted in screening and verifying visa applicants, providing medical care, food, water, and compassion to those in need. The US troops also played a vital role in air traffic control, ensuring the safe departure and arrival of flights.

The evacuation effort was a collaborative endeavour, with other countries also contributing to the security and evacuation process. The Taliban, despite their recent takeover, also played a role in providing security and screening evacuees. Additionally, countries such as Canada, India, and South Korea launched their own evacuation operations to rescue their citizens and vulnerable Afghans.

The evacuation was a massive undertaking, with over 120,000 people airlifted to safety. It was one of the largest airlifts in history, involving various countries and a multitude of military and civilian aircraft. The operation concluded on August 30, 2021, one day before the deadline agreed upon with the Taliban, bringing an end to America's longest war.

The Taliban has warned Uzbekistan and Tajikistan against keeping Afghan aircraft that fled the country

As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, a huge multinational evacuation began. Hundreds of Afghans fled on airliners, and military aircraft of all types flew in and out of the airport.

In mid-August 2021, dozens of Afghan military planes and helicopters carrying 585 members of Afghan forces fled to neighbouring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to escape the Taliban. A total of 46 aircraft landed in Uzbekistan, including 22 fixed-wing planes and 24 helicopters, while 18 landed in Tajikistan.

The Taliban has demanded that Uzbekistan and Tajikistan return the aircraft, which they claim are the property of Afghanistan. In January 2022, the Taliban's acting Defence Minister, Mohammad Yaqoob, warned the two countries "not to test our patience and not to force us to take all possible retaliatory steps" to regain possession of the aircraft.

However, the United States has made clear that it has no intention of allowing the aircraft to be turned over to the Taliban. The U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan, John Mark Pommersheim, stated that "these aircraft will not be handed over to the Taliban because they do not belong to them." The U.S. maintains that it is up to Washington to decide what happens to the planes, as it funded the previous Afghan government and paid for the aircraft.

U.S. officials have expressed their gratitude to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for securing the aircraft and preventing them from falling into Taliban hands. The U.S. is working with the Tajik government to determine how to effectively use and maintain the planes, with the hope of eventually handing them over to the Tajik government.

The fate of the aircraft remains uncertain, but it is unlikely that they will be returned to Afghanistan. A possible outcome is that the aircraft will be turned over to the respective domestic militaries of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which already operate similar Russian-made helicopters.

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